About Me

I am a lawyer in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada who enjoys reading, especially mysteries. Since 2000 I have been writing personal book reviews. This blog includes my reviews, information on and interviews with authors and descriptions of mystery bookstores I have visited. I strive to review all Saskatchewan mysteries. Other Canadian mysteries are listed under the Rest of Canada. As a lawyer I am always interested in legal mysteries. I have a separate page for legal mysteries. Occasionally my reviews of legal mysteries comment on the legal reality of the mystery. You can follow the progression of my favourite authors with up to 15 reviews. Each year I select my favourites in "Bill's Best of ----". As well as current reviews I am posting reviews from 2000 to 2011. Below my most recent couple of posts are the posts of Saskatchewan mysteries I have reviewed alphabetically by author. If you only want a sentence or two description of the book and my recommendation when deciding whether to read the book look at the bold portion of the review. If you would like to email me the link to my email is on the profile page.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Little Faith by Michael Simon

47. – 510.) Little Faith by Michael Simon – It is 1995 in Austin, Texas. George W. Bush is the new governor and Sgt. Dan Reles personal and professional life is a mess. His livein girlfriend, Jessica, has no interest in their relationship beyond having a place to stay. He has been transferred from Homicide to Family Violence. Suddenly his mixed up existence is sent into further turmoil when he is assigned the investigation of the murder of Faith Copeland – a teenage has-been. A T.V. star as a child her career disappeared when she was no longer cute. Her life has spiraled down. Reles, the only Jew in Homicide, seizes upon the case. While pursuing leads he is at risk from “The Family”, a shadowy group of white crackers who control the police department, and are upset with his report to IA on a corrupt Lieutenant. Cate Mora, another lone ethnic representative on the squad being a female Latina, gains his assistance in looking for a missing boy. The story wends its way through the upper and lower classes of Austin. Reles has little regard for the new governor and those seeking to return Christianty to public life. The story is gritty and uncompromising. The plot asserts criminal cases are routinely manipulated by the power elite in the heart of Texas. It is not going to be a Hollywood feature. At the same time there were too many bodies and the connections too intertwined and formulaic. Reles is an interesting character but I do not expect to read another one of the series. (Dec. 6/09)